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All Work No Play = STRESS

02/26/2016

Blog post by SimGHOSTS board member Nick Brauer

Many are in careers that are disliked for various reasons. It may be due to lack of support, bored, poor management or simply despise the line of work. So I have to ask…. Why are you in the current line of work you are? Are you satisfied? Overall, do you enjoy your career/job? If you are reading this post you are likely involved with medical simulation in some fashion. From my perspective those working in this line of work generally enjoy the daily challenges of sim. If my assumption is correct, why do so many sim operations folks enjoy their jobs?

Is there a link to between simulation operations and hobbies? From personal experience I am going to suggest there is a correlation between the two. Having attended a SimGHOSTS conferences since its inception (except GOT SIM 2012) nearly everyone asks for and attends each and every hands-on session. There is a huge demand in this area because as adult learners we learn by doing. But what really draws us in to a specific course? (As a side note –jump out of your comfort zone and teach an interactive/hands-on course at the next SimGHOST event! Sure you may be nervous but others will greatly appreciate the shared knowledge)

The ability to apply personal hobbies and interests to one’s job is a recipe for success and enjoyment. Simulation is a hands-on job without argument. In my current role I am able to apply both hobbies and life skills learned over many years. Truth be told I love troubleshooting, taking things apart, figuring out how they work, repairing and reassembling. Outside of work it’s NO-HOLDS-BARRED; any and all things are fair game!

Since being involved in my volunteer pre-hospital response gig (16 years) and now higher education (7 years) I’ve realized helping those in need is a passion and not just a job. There is something to be said about seeing the “lightbulb” come on in a learner’s eyes or being able to comfort the nervous resident when his career depends on the success or failure of the simulation. It’s the desire to lend a helping hand and make those around you shine like new penny without asking for any returned favors.

Final thoughts –

The desire to have a job that fulfills one’s life emotionally and financially can often be a hard task to accomplish. So many times there is one without the other and rarely both. I contend that if hobbies and other personal gratifications outside of work can be folded in to a job one will have less stress and therefore have a higher satisfaction rate. Go to http://www.simghosts.org/discussionforums/ (miscellaneous) and let me know how your hobbies &/or life experiences influence your career in medical simulation.